With two golf courses, Black Butte offers something for everyone. The Glaze Meadow Course is carved out of the trees while the Big Meadow course is routed through a meadow and provides great views of nearby mountains.

The resort has also come up with an eight-year plan for some scheduled changes. One of the first major projects at Black Butte was the addition of 74 bunkers at the Big Meadow course. More changes are coming.

One other major change is the addition of a recreation center at Glaze Meadow complete with a new pool, tennis courts, spa and more.

Now four at Bandon
When Bandon Dunes opened for play in 1999, the course with the scenic views of the Pacific Ocean in Bandon, Ore. was quickly voted among the best in the country.

When Pacific Dunes opened in 2001 next to Bandon Dunes, the new course received even higher praise and loftier awards. And now, a third course, Bandon Trails, is up and running along the Oregon Coast. A fourth course called Old Macdonald is opening this year.

Welcome to Bandon Dunes, home of three of the top golf courses in the country, opened in 2005 and is one of the best practice facilities you will ever see and a clubhouse featuring rooms you can stay in.

All three courses top the lists of every golf publication’s best course list. There might not be much to see in and around the Bandon area, but there is the golf and it’s enough. And golf in its purest form, with no golf carts allowed, a prevailing wind blowing off the Pacific Ocean and native fescue grasses growing along the fairways.

Located on the south-central Oregon Coast, Bandon might be considered out of the way. But if you’re a golfer, it’s a drive you need to make.

The variety at Eagle Crest
There is no shortage of golf at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, located just north of Bend in Central Oregon.

The resort opened in the 1980s with its resort course and hotel. Since then, there have been some serious upgrades. The hotel is first class, an athletic center has been added and two golf courses have also been put into the mix.

The Resort course is a solid public course while the newer Ridge course is a bit more challenging at nearly 7,000 yards.

Eagle Crest has also added what it calls a Challenge Course as well as an 18-hole putting course.

Crooked River’s setting
Crooked River Ranch offers Central Oregon golf in a stunning setting, just north of Bend. The course might not seem long (5,700 yards) but you need to keep it straight.

The par-4 fifth hole is a perfect example. It is a hole that says just 260 yards on the scorecard, but the Crooked River sits to the left and out of bounds marks the right.

Crooked River is a popular stop for people with RV’s because of the full service amenities, which include tennis, swimming and hiking.

Pacific Northwest professional Chuck Milne shot a 59 in a tournament there in the summer of 2004.

Dry at Kah-Nee-Tah
Kah-Nee-Tah Resort opened in the early 1970s and since then has become a popular place for families, with its indoor and outdoor accommodations, Indian themes and great golf course.

Besides, it’s hard to beat a place where the sun shines nearly every day and the rain stays away.

For travelers, Kah-Nee-Tah offers a first-class hotel, and for those more adventurous, outdoor tee-pees are another way to stay. And the golf is a sun-splashed adventure.

Skiing and golf at The Resort
The Resort at the Mountain is just a drive and wedge away from Mount Hood. In fact, during the spring and summer months, golfing and skiing are both possibilities in the same day.

But for just golf, the Resort at the Mountain has it all. With new renovations to the lodge, accommodations and golf course, the Resort at the Mountain is a first-class operation. The facility offers three different sets of nines to try, called Thistle, Foxglove and Pine Cone.

Sunriver’s golf heaven
Sunriver is able to offer its guests a veritable hat trick of golf – three golf courses and all are treats.

In addition to the lodging, which includes anything from condo-type rooms to rental houses, Sunriver is a golfer’s paradise with the public Woodlands and Meadows courses and the private Crosswater course. Crosswater, however, is open to resort guests. A new nine-holer has also opened up near Crosswater.

Plenty to do at Running Y
The Running Y Ranch in Klamath Falls is one of the major contenders on the resort scene and has all the ingredients to keep people coming back–climate, scenery, activities, terrific accommodations and amenities for guests, and of course the Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf course.

The course, the only Palmer designed course in Oregon, has hosted some of the biggest Northwest professional and amateur events since opening.

This is a place you can really relax and kick back and enjoy yourself with plenty of amenities around the resort.

Wildhorse has it all
Many golfers talk about the “game within the game,” the mental challenges that make each round so enjoyable. But at the Wildhorse Resort and Casino in Pendleton, they also talk about the games after the game. Because at Wildhorse, you can play 18 holes of golf followed by a round of casino games.

Situated in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Wildhorse’s 7,112-yard course is a blend of Scottish Links and traditional American golf. The 18th hole is perhaps one of the top finishing holes in the Northwest, with a lake running along the right side and white sand bunkers guarding the approach.

Looking for more, the area is also home to the Pendleton Round-Up, a top attraction as well.

Salishan’s Coastal golf
Salishan Golf Links offers a remodeled golf course and a terrific place to stay on the Oregon Coast in Gleneden Beach.

With its great ocean-side location, Salishan is a place that people keep coming back to for weekend getaways – with or without the golf clubs in the car.

Salishan has recently undergone a major re-model by Peter Jacobsen and added a new spa, too, in hopes of keeping people coming back for more.

Tetherow is a new one
Residents and guests will have the rare opportunity to live and play on a championship course designed by David McLay Kidd, the designer of Bandon Dunes. It opened for play last year and won numerous awards.